Aftermath

Probably by good fortune, the shock of getting hit by the blast, numbed Henry of all feeling so all the subsequent damages he suffered were bearable. He slipped into the darkness peacefully. 

"Ah, I'm back here," Henry thought as the darkness swarmed all around him, 

"So I died in a 'Power Test'. Who would have thought?"

[Yelena's 'Circle of Healing' is in effect…]

[All injuries have been healed and all Status Abnormalities including Death have been reversed.]

[You have recovered 30 Hit Points] 

[Hit Points: 30/30]

Henry felt full of life and felt a pull drag him out of the darkness before his eyes opened wide to find Yelena's worried face inches from his own. 

"Oh gods, you're alive!" She said with intense relief and driven by emotion, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. 

At first, Henry was pulled in by the warmth while his sense of smell was steeped in the sweet scent that wafted from Yelena's body but then, his eyes widened in realization,

'That feeling of relief… Did she not think I'd make it?'

The fact that Yelena had doubted that her 'Circle of Healing' could bring him back even from death twisted Henry's stomach into an uncomfortable knot.

'It could have all really been over,' he thought with a deep frown. 

[You have cheated Death.]

[You have accomplished a Great feat.]

[You have received 75 Exp]

Reading the notifications, especially the last, Henry's frown quickly became a smile. The trauma of a 'second death' was almost completely gone from his mind and he now saw this experience differently,

'Well, it's as they say. No risk, no reward. No pain no gain. If I die again, do I get more Exp?'

Yelena pulled her head away,

"I swear I didn't know it would kill you," she said earnestly, "I swear!"

"It's alright," Henry said as Yelena let go of his neck and stood to her feet, her face in a distressed grimace. 

"Oh my gods! My 'Circle of Healing' has never brought back the dead. For a second there, I really thought it was over."

There were droplets of moisture at the corner of her eyes. She didn't look impressed that her magic had accomplished something so incredible. If anything, she looked shattered. 

"It's fine. Really, I'm fine," Henry said. 

"I could have killed you. I'm so sorry," Yelena said as she looked away. 

Henry let out a small sigh,

"Apology accepted but you brought me back to life, so I'll say we're even."

"You wouldn't have had to be brought back to life if not for me," Yelena said. 

"Either way, I'm not dead. Next time, just go easy on me, okay?"

Yelena turned around then with surprise in her eyes,

"Next time? There'll be a next time?"

Henry looked like he was surprised she would even ask,

"Of course."

Yelena shook her head,

"I-I don't know," she said.

"You're going to make mistakes. You can't let one misstep stop you from trying to BE better."

"It was a pretty huge misstep," Yelena said. Her tone mellow. 

Henry shrugged,

"Depends on perspective. I suffered it and I tell you it was not that big a deal."

That was a lie. 

It WAS a big deal. 

But having motivated people before, Henry knew telling Yelena that would not help her. The worst thing for someone with potential was to allow trauma give them a mental block. He knew this from experience. 

Also, if she gave up now, how was he to experiment if more deaths would reward him with more Exp?

Yelena paused and then a small smile stretched across her lips,

"Well, I guess you're right. But, it cannot be today. I don't think I can do much of anything else today."

"That's fine," Henry said, "Tomorrow then."

"Can you ask your question another time too?" Yelena asked, "Maybe when I'm not so shaken up."

Henry searched her eyes and when he saw she was resolute, he nodded with a resigned smile,

"Of course."

…

The next day, Henry completed his sixth Meditation exercise and as he had done the day before, he went beyond while trying to give his formless perception the shape it so clearly wanted. 

He failed but the attempt itself filled him with a sense of accomplishment. 

[Quest Completed]

[You have received 5 Exp]

Feeling refreshed and far more enlightened than he had ever felt, Henry opened his eyes and let out a relaxed breath. 

*Knock* *Knock*

"Henry?"

Henry raised a brow in surprise at both the knock at his door and the voice that called to him from behind the door.

"Triss?"

Henry stood up and pulled the door open and there she stood. Her hair was the same reddish brown as it always was and her pretty face was inches from his own while she had the same smile she always seemed to have when she was looking at him. 

"Get dressed," Triss said striking a pose with her hands on her waist, "We're going out."

"Another job?" Henry asked. 

Triss shook her head,

"Not really. It's just the two of us heading into town. Come on, get dressed."

A minute later, Henry and Triss were walking out of Hadron Mansion and heading to the hitching posts for their horses. 

Triss walked ahead of him so Henry got a back view of what she was wearing. It was similar in style to what she had worn for the Train job (Hat, Shirt, trousers, vest, and gloves) but the clothes themselves were different. The only thing that remained the same was the belt that held her gun's holster by her side. 

As his eyes trailed up Triss' elegant form, Henry's gaze fell on the part of her back she had been splashed with the acidic goop days ago. 

Henry could not help but be mystified that Yelena's healing magic was strong enough to bring him back to life but it had failed to heal Triss' wound in a single session. 

Triss still went to Yelena for follow-up sessions and Henry didn't think that had stopped yet. 

"So why are we going to Town?" Henry asked as he mounted Nyx and Triss mounted her chestnut brown horse. 

With her reins in hand, Triss directed her horse and set off into a trot out of the Mansion's compound with Henry and Nxy by her side as she said, 

"A stake out of sorts. Angus just wants to know if it's safe to wander about New Freudein and the neighboring towns.

Word of the bloodshed on that train must have traveled here by now. It can't hurt to be careful."

For Six days, the Dionisio gang had laid low. According to Angus, they just stole from a very powerful man and it would not be wise to act rashly until things had settled down well enough.

Clearly, Henry and Triss were the advance group to brave the potential danger and, should they survive, give the Gang feedback so they can act accordingly. 

With all that in mind, Henry's brows furrowed and his tone was serious when he said,

"Of course."

Triss glanced at him,

"You don't have to sound like that," she said. 

"Like what?" Henry asked, confused. 

"Like you're worried," Triss said with a small but beautiful-sounding laugh, "We'll be in and out before you know it. And hey, I'll treat you to a drink."

"Alright," Henry said with a smile but he didn't think it would truly be as simple as 'getting in and out'. 

How could he when a notification had arrived from the System from the moment they left the Hadron Mansion compound and was still floating in front of his face with vague but ominous descriptions? 

[Grand Quest Updated!

Main Quest: Aftermath.

Quest Conditions;

-Head into Town With Triss. 

-???

Reward: ???]